End the cuts to our '˜blue light' services

Police, fire crews and ambulance officers were called to the scene at Hackenthorpe shortly before 6pm on Monday

The motion proposed at a meeting of Ashfield District Council on Thursday was made in response to recent terror attacks, the Grenfell fire disaster and continuing public sector wage freezes.

Labour council leader councillor Cheryl Butler and Independent councillor Jason Zadrozny the motion “In light of the terrible incidents of terrorism affecting our communities in recent times and the shocking incident at Grenfell Tower in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, Ashfield District Council opposes any further reductions to the police, fire and ambulance services and calls for all blue light services to be properly funded and resourced, in order to respond to such incidents; and in order to keep our communities in Ashfield, in the wider Nottinghamshire area and elsewhere across the country, safe.” A letter will be written to the Prime Minister, signed by the council Leader, and opposition Leaders, opposing further reductions to blue light services in all areas of Nottinghamshire and to ask that Ashfield’s blue light services are protected from any further funding cuts. Around 400 police officers are expected to have been cut between 2015-2018n in Nottinghamshire.

A joint amendment also called for the one per cent pay cap on emergency services to be lifted.

The motion was passed though it was opposed by Conservative councillors.